Edelman has named industry, White House and government veteran Lisa Osborne Ross president of its Washington, D.C. office, effective November 13. Ross succeeds Rob Rehg, who now becomes chair of Edelman’s U.S. Public Affairs practice. Edelman’s DC office is one of the firm’s global hubs and a center of excellence for integrated advocacy programming, reputation, issues and modern crisis management as well as home to integrated brand marketing for several leading companies.
“Lisa has the dynamism and curiosity that are hallmarks of Edelman’s culture and its leaders,” said Russell Dubner, CEO, Edelman US. “Lisa is a leading public affairs practitioner and sought-after issues management counselor. She will be a key addition to the firm’s U.S. leadership team.”
Ross, a D.C. native, joins Edelman from APCO Worldwide where she was the managing director of its Washington, D.C. office. Earlier, Ross had a 15-year career at Ogilvy, culminating in her role as head of public affairs. Before that, she served in the first and second terms of the Clinton Administration, specializing in policy development and issues management. During this time, she was communications director for the U.S. Department of Labor’s effort to promote high-performance workplaces, deputy director of the bipartisan Federal Glass Ceiling Commission and chief of staff of the White House Office of Women’s Initiatives and Outreach.
“For an industry veteran that has spent the last 20-plus years in Washington, the opportunity to work for a pioneering force in our field is one I couldn’t pass up,” said Ross. “I’m both looking forward to advancing the culture of excellence and taking forward the mantle of solving complex client problems in new ways. I look forward to working with the talented people at Edelman’s DC office on the continuation of the office’s upward trajectory, and I’m also excited to partner with teams across Edelman’s global network.”
Ross, who was recently honored by the PR Council as the agency world’s Diversity Champion, is passionate about her philanthropic endeavors, especially focused on building a better Washington. She works to empower women and prioritize the importance of diversity of race, gender, points of view and inclusion of all. She co-founded and led the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, which raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund grassroots organizations addressing the critical needs of women and young girls through essential services and training throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
Under Rehg’s leadership during the past 11 years, the D.C. office has more than doubled in size while expanding its deep expertise across multiple sectors and capabilities in federal, state and municipal issues management. The firm has also continued to evolve its prowess in coalition campaigns, stakeholder engagement, digital programming, grassroots, research, analytics, micro-targeting and creative. In addition to PA and Corporate assignments, the D.C. office manages brand campaigns for a variety of leading companies.
In his new role, Rehg will lead U.S. Public Affairs for Edelman, including providing counsel to C-suite and boards on policy-related, mission-critical situations. Rehg will also advance the firm’s multi-state and local issues programming. He will also have oversight of the firm’s Collaborative Journalism newsroom programming to bring journalistic quality content to corporate and brand storytelling. Ross and Rehg will both report to Dubner.
“Our growth has been fueled by a close-knit team of talented professionals from government, business and media backgrounds, as well as superb digital and creative professionals who express our clients’ stories and views across various media platforms,” said Rehg. “I am thrilled Lisa will be leading the office and am confident her vision and skills will take the office to a new level of success and help me advance our public affairs offering across the U.S.”
About Edelman:
Edelman is a leading global communications marketing firm that partners with many of the world’s largest and emerging businesses and organizations, helping them evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Edelman was awarded the Grand Prix Cannes Lion for PR in 2014; six Cannes Lions in 2015; and the Grand Prix in the Titanium category in 2016. The firm was named “2016 Global Agency of the Year” by the Holmes Report, and one of Advertising Age’s “Agencies to Watch” in 2014. In 2015, Edelman was among Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work” for the fourth time. Edelman owns specialty firms Edelman Intelligence (research) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, experiential), a joint venture with United Talent Agency.